Kona Criminal Investigation Section detectives arrested a 36-year-old Puako man Thursday (October 31, 2002) and charged him with one count each of first-degree and second-degree terroristic threatening for an incident at the Mauna Lani Bay Hotel on October 22, 2002.

A preliminary investigation determined that the suspect, identified as Chet Wooley, had informed the hotel staff that he had a bomb inside a bag he was carrying. While being pursued by hotel security personnel, Wooley also said he had a knife.

Hotel security personnel secured the area and the bag Wooley had been carrying. South Kohala Patrol officers responded and called a explosive ordnance detail from the Kaneohe Marine Corps Air Station on Oahu. A Marine Corps team arrived, examined the bag and determined that it had no explosives inside.

Kona CIS detectives were then notified and continued the investigation. No one was injured or endangered in the incident.

After his arrest, Wooley was taken to the Kona District Court, where a judge ordered him to be taken to the Kona Community Hospital’s Psychiatric Unit for an evaluation by a panel of three psychiatrists.

A hearing date has been set for Wednesday, December 11, 2002, in South Kohala.